The Supreme Court has constituted a special bench to hear a batch of PILs challenging the validity of certain provisions of a 1991 law that prohibits filing a lawsuit to reclaim a place of worship or seek a change in its character from what prevailed on August 15, 1947. A three-judge bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan is likely to hear the matter on December 12 at 3.30 pm.

The top court is seized of the pleas, including one filed by Ashwini Upadhyay who has prayed that sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Places of Worship (Special Provisions)  Act, 1991 be set aside. Among the various reasons submitted was the contention that these provisions take away the right of judicial remedy to reclaim a place of worship of any person or a religious group.